Categories
by The Inner Genie
Summary: Have you ever lost your best friend? Kathryn thinks she's lost hers. All feedback gratefully and humbly accepted.


Categories

By The Inner Genie 

August 8, 2000

J/C

G

Time: shortly after the episode "The Gift." References to Scorpion I and II.

Commander Chakotay gave a perfunctory knock on the Ready Room door. The door slid open as Captain Janeway called "Come in."

He stepped inside and hesitated. Captain Kathryn Janeway was standing on the upper level staring sadly out the viewport. She turned towards him and motioned him up.

"Come up and sit down, Commander," she said quietly as she sat on the long couch under the window.

Chakotay stepped up and sat down beside his Captain.

He looked over at her expectantly. After all, she had summoned him, so he waited for her to start.

Silence.

Captain Janeway stared distractedly down at her hands as she chewed on her bottom lip. 

"This is not like her," thought Chakotay.

Concerned by her unusual behavior, he turned more fully towards her and bent his head down to look in her face.

"What's the matter, Kathryn?" he asked gently. "You look as if you've lost your best friend."

Her head shot up and she looked at him with an amazed expression.

"That's just what I wanted to talk to you about, Chakotay. Again, she bit her lip and turned her head away. "I think I have."

The big Native American sat back with a deep sigh.

"I know," he nodded. "I miss her, too. I think Kes was a friend to everyone on this ship." He shook his head sadly. "Her departure was so sudden. I guess it will take a while for us to…"

"No!" Kathryn's sharp exclamation caused him to stop in mid-sentence. 

"I mean…" she stammered as he looked at her. "Of course, I miss Kes terribly. But…she isn't the friend I mean."

Now Chakotay was thoroughly confused.

Seeing the look on his face, she hurried to explain.

"It's you, Chakotay."

She looked up at him with a look on her face that was at once miserable and embarrassed. "After our disagreement over the Borg, I feel our friendship has been damaged. We don't talk things over like we used to."

She turned her head away and then back.

"I can't even remember the last time we had dinner together," she exclaimed throwing her hands in the air

Chakotay waited quietly. Janeway glanced quickly at him out of the corner of her eye but he was looking down at his hands in his lap so she couldn't see his expression.

She licked her lips and gave a small sigh. Turning to him, she straightened her spine, squared her shoulders and said in her usual strong, determined voice.

"So, I want to apologize to you."

That brought his head up!

She held up her hand as he was about to speak.

"I took our disagreement personally, instead of professionally. I realize, now, that since I left you in charge of the ship I should respect your command decisions. Yes, you handled things differently than I would have, but that doesn't…"

Now it was his turn to interrupt.

"Kathryn." He said in his soft voice.

Her head whipped around. Was that amusement she heard in his voice? She tipped her head to one side and squinted her eyes suspiciously at him.

"What?"

"You're not the only one who needs to apologize. I think that I took this a little personally, too. So…I'm apologizing to you as well. He paused, then reached over and covered her hand with his. "I'm still your friend, if you'll have me. Okay, Best Friend?"

Kathryn looked down at their hands and turned her hand over to clasp his.

"Okay, Best Friend," she agreed, her eyes sparkling with tears of relief. "I missed you," she whispered.

Chakotay squeezed her hand. His dimples popped out as he gave her an impish grin.

"If I remember correctly," he said, raising his eyebrows, "the Best Friends' category allows best friends to hug each other."

Kathryn gave a bark of laughter. Then she grinned up at him. "You know, I think I remember that too."

He pulled her to him and she slid her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

They hugged and then hugged harder.

Finally, pulling back from each other, Chakotay looked into her eyes and said, "I think Best Friends are also allowed to kiss each other."

Kathryn held his gaze for a moment, a long moment, then pushed away from him and stood up.

She headed for the Ready Room door motioning over her shoulder at him with her famous two-fingered point.

"Now, Commander," she predicted. "If we ever kiss…" She paused. "I do believe it will put us into a whole different category altogether."

Chakotay laughed.

"Right as usual, Captain," he agreed as he got up and followed her out.

THE END


End file.
